College of Behavioral & Social Sciences

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/8

The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations..

Browse

Subject: search.filters.subject.Psychology, General

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 23
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Affective Pathways of Work-Family Enrichment Among Dual-earner Couples
    (2009) Dunn, Marianne Grace; O'Brien, Karen M; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The current study examined the extent to which resources generated at work influence family functioning among dual-earner couples while accounting for interdependence of observations among couples. Path analytic findings based in the Actor Partner Interdependence Model (APIM; Cook & Kenny, 2005) and Work-Family Enrichment Theory (Greenhaus & Powell, 2006) supported the presence of a mediated model. The relationship between resources generated at work to positive family performance was mediated by positive affect at work. A number of intrapersonal effects, including one mediated effect emerged between work, positive affect at work, and family variables. One interpersonal effect was detected: female family-supportive organization perceptions predicted male dyadic adjustment. The results and implications for theory, policy, practice, and research are discussed.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Effects of Group Status and Cognitive Appraisal Prime on Integrative Complexity in a Decision Making Context
    (2009) Van Allen, Katherine Lynn; Stangor, Charles; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Integrative complexity has been shown to influence information-processing and decision-making in different social situations. The present research assessed the effects of group status and cognitive appraisal prime on complexity in a group decision-making context. Experiment 1 assessed group status effects, and Experiment 2 tested whether priming threat or challenge would moderate those effects. Both experiments found that minority members showed greater complexity than majority members. Experiment 2 found that appraisal prime moderated the relationship between status and complexity. Minority members receiving the threat prime were the most complex, while majority members in the threat and control conditions were the least complex. The mediating roles of cognitive appraisal, anxiety, and coping expectancy were assessed, but none were found to be significant mediators of complexity.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Connecting the forgotten half: The school-to-work transition of non-college bound youth
    (2009) Ling, Thomson Joseph; O'Brien, Karen; Kivlighan, Dennis; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    When we think of high school students making the transition to adulthood, most of us picture students pursuing a college or university education. However, for many individuals, this image is not the case. For some youth, the transition to adulthood is marked by entrance into the workforce. While previous research has examined the school-to-work transition of non-college-bound youth, most only have considered a limited set of variables and only examined job attainment. By considering job quality and employment stability in addition to job attainment, the present study examined the school-to-work transition of non-college bound youth using a nationally representative sample of youth followed longitudinally. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997 Cohort, we examined a comprehensive set of predictors within an ecological framework. This study sought to determine: "What were the predictors of job attainment, stability of employment, and job quality for youth who are making the school-to-work transition?" Logistic regression and structural equation modeling were used to examine the hypotheses. With regard to job attainment, depression, substance use, adolescent educational attainment, and employment in adolescence were associated with obtaining employment. With regard to job quality and stability of employment, depression, substance use, adolescent educational attainment, employment in adolescence, parental educational attainment, and income were associated with these job characteristics. Parent-adolescent relationship and physical risk were not associated with job characteristics.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    How one helps: personality, theoretical orientation, and helping skill preference
    (2009) Hummel, Ann Martha; Gelso, Charles J; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    In order to test the interrelationships among personality, preferred theoretical orientation to counseling, and preferences for various response modes (helping skills) in counseling, undergraduates in peer counseling and basic helping skills courses completed measures of these three constructs. Findings include four significant relationships between personality factors and theoretical orientations, and four significant relationships between theoretical orientation and helping skill preference. Three significant relationships between personality factors and helping skill preference were found, including two replications from an earlier study by the author (Hummel & Gelso, 2007). Identification with and belief in the humanistic/client-centered theoretical orientation was found to be a mediator between emotional stability and preference for direct guidance. Overall, there were modest interrelationships between personality, theoretical orientation, and helping skill preference in beginning helping trainees; but it was suggested that these relationships may not yet be solidified at this point in their development as helpers.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Adoptive Parents: At Risk or Resilient
    (2009) Merson, Erica Shawn; O'Brien, Karen M.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This study advanced knowledge regarding the demographics of a nationally representative sample of adoptive parents and their use and level of satisfaction with adoption agency services, specifically that they are functioning well both psychologically and in their marital relationships and are satisfied with the adoption agency services that are being offered and used. It also examined the contributions of (a) psychological functioning at nine months postpartum, (b) infertility experiences, (c) tangible resources, and (d) the marital relationship in predicting the psychological health of adoptive parents at 27 months postpartum. Findings revealed that the psychological health of adoptive parents at nine months was the strongest predictor of depressive and anxiety symptoms at 27 months for both adoptive mothers and fathers, with tangible resources also contributing unique variance to the prediction of fathers' depressive symptoms. Moreover, marital hostility was found to partially mediate the relationship between mothers' depressive symptoms at nine months and 27 months postpartum.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The Role of Epistemic Motivation in the Link between Arousal and Focus of Attention
    (2009) Orehek, Edward; Kruglanski, Arie W; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Over 60 years of research has led to a law-like acceptance of the Easterbrook (1959) hypothesis. Easterbrook (1959) famously reviewed the evidence on the arousal-attention link and concluded that as arousal increases, the range of cues utilized decreases, and the focus of attention narrows. However, the present set of eight studies suggests that the Easterbrook hypothesis needs to be seriously qualified. Recent developments in the understanding of the role of arousal in information processing suggests that rather than invariably leading to a focus of attention, arousal instead serves as information regarding the urgency and/or importance of active processing strategies (Storbeck & Clore, 2008). Because some processing strategies lead to a broadening of attention, arousal should sometimes be negatively related to a focusing of attention. A first set of four studies investigated the need for closure as it relates to the arousal-attention link. The need for closure refers to the motivation to make quick, firm judgments, and has been shown to lead to the use of fewer available cues. Because of this, it seems that the need for closure should lead to a tendency to focus one's attention. However, when need for closure is low, individuals tend to process more available cues, broadening attention in order to avoid reaching premature closure. The results indicate that when individuals are high on the need for closure, arousal is positively related to focus of attention, whereas when individuals are low on the need for closure, arousal is negatively related to focus of attention. A second set of four studies investigated the influence of the regulatory modes of locomotion and assessment on the arousal-attention link. Because locomotion is oriented towards movement, it should lead to a focus of attention. Because assessment is oriented towards making evaluations based on comparisons among alternatives, it should lead to a broadening of attention. The results show that when a locomotion mode is active, arousal is positively related to focus of attention, whereas, when an assessment mode is active, arousal is negatively related to focus of attention.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Assessing Hearing Loss due to Ototoxic Drugs in the Zebra Finch
    (2008-08-03) DeAngelo, Kristina Michelle; Dooling, Robert J.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Aminoglycosides such as kanamycin and amikacin are ototoxic drugs that cause hair cell damage/loss that leads to hearing loss in humans and animals. Previous studies show both hearing loss and recovery following administration in birds. I assessed the effects of aminoglycoside treatment in the budgerigar, canary, and zebra finch using auditory brainstem response (ABR). The purpose of this study was to determine whether the ABR can accurately measure hearing loss following treatment, and to compare the effect of two aminoglycosides on zebra finch hearing sensitivity. After treatment, budgerigar and canary ABR audiograms were similar to those found through behavioral methods confirming the ABR as an efficient tool to measure hearing loss and recovery. Interestingly, zebra finches did not show the expected hearing loss but instead showed small threshold shifts across all frequencies. Overall, the zebra finch appears to be far less susceptible to aminoglycoside induced hearing damage than other birds.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Attachment Security, Mindfulness, and Psychotherapy: Testing a Mediational Model
    (2008-07-31) Ma, Yueher; Gelso, Charles J.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Previous research shows theoretical and/or empirical support for the relation between attachment security and adaptive functioning, between mindfulness and adaptive functioning, as well as between attachment security and mindfulness. Besides, mindfulness is considered to be theoretically similar to several constructs that has been identified as significant mediators in the relation between attachment security and positive life adaptations (e.g., reflective functioning, affect regulation strategies). The present study mainly examined whether mindfulness mediated the relation between attachment security and adaptive functioning in a clinical sample that consisted of students from a large mid-Atlantic university (N = 90, M (age)= 20.96, SD = 3.15). According to the participants' retrospective pre-therapy and current post-therapy self-report ratings, significant associations were discovered between attachment security and adaptive functioning, between mindfulness and adaptive functioning, as well as between attachment security and mindfulness before and after therapy. Also, the results supported the mediating role of mindfulness in the link between attachment security and adaptive functioning both prior and subsequent to therapy. Limitations of this study, directions for future research, and implications for clinical practice were discussed.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Understanding Low Social Acceptance in Adolescence: Roles of Social Behavior and Representations of Peers
    (2007-09-26) Halcrow, Sarah Ruth; Cassidy, Jude A.; Rubin, Kenneth H.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The goal of this study was to examine whether social behavior and peer representations would be linked to the extent to which adolescents were socially accepted. Findings indicated that prosocial behavior was positively associated with acceptance whereas aggressive, disruptive, and shy behaviors were negatively associated with acceptance. Results also suggested gender moderated the link between shy behavior and acceptance, such that shy boys were significantly less accepted than shy girls. In contrast, gender did not moderate the links between prosocial, disruptive, and aggressive behavior and acceptance. Although peer representations were negatively linked to acceptance, gender did not significantly moderate these links. Additional findings suggested that prosocial, disruptive, and shy behaviors partially mediated the links between peer representations and acceptance. Contrary to expectations, peer representations partially mediated the links only between acceptance and shy behavior. Implications of findings related to the roles of adolescent social behavior, the moderating role of gender, peer representations, and social acceptance are discussed.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The Intersection of HIV Infection with HIV/AIDS Beliefs among African Americans
    (2007-08-02) Walton, Heather M.; Fassinger, Ruth E.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This dissertation describes a qualitative study of 15 African American, HIV-positive individuals who were clients in a day treatment program at an HIV clinic in the Washington, DC, area. Data were collected through semistructured interviews; grounded theory methodology was used to generate a theory of how the participants gave meaning to HIV. The theoretical model included Personal Context, Support and Education, Socio-cultural Meaning, and Personal Meaning, all of which related to the formation of a global meaning regarding HIV. The emergent theoretical model and its components are presented, and the implications of the study for research, practice, and advocacy are discussed.